Marijuana Use in Epilepsy: The Myth and the Reality

Researchers at Yale University published this review in Current Neurology and Neuroscience Reports in 2015 with the goal of addressing the most important questions a clinician may have regarding the use of marijuana in epilepsy. They review data for the anticonvulsant properties of the different cannabinoids, mainly tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) and explore the safety data from animal and human studies. Although sufficient clinical data in patients with epilepsy is lacking, the researchers found that extensive preclinical data support the anticonvulsant properties of the main biologically active cannabinoids, THC and CBD, with better data for CBD.